SOCIAL SECURITY GETS FUNDING INCREASE

After 10 years, Congress is finally trying to reduce the disability backlog which has now exceeded 1 million persons waiting on a decision for their disability case.

Attached to the new 1.3 trillion dollar spending bill for 2018, Congress increased Social Security's funding by $480 million.

$100 million will target reducing the 600 day average wait it takes to get a disability decision.  Some members of congress noted that it often takes years to get a decision on a disability claim.  In fiscal 2017, over 10,000 claimants died while waiting for a decision.

Since working makes individuals ineligible for disability benefits, claimants have to do without while Social Security struggles to make a decision, usually after a hearing before a judge.  In 2018 there are over 1 million people waiting to get before a judge.

With an average wait time of 600 days, disabled individuals often do without essentials.  They may lose their home, car, health insurance, life insurance and do without medical care.

The new budget provides $100 million for new judges and support staff.  It allows $280 million to update information systems, allowing decision makers to work through cases faster.

While this sounds like a lot of money, disability advocates say it is a drop in the bucket.

Charles Forsythe, a partner at the Forsythe Firm in Huntsville, AL notes that it's been ten years since Social Security has had a meaningful budget increase.  "The workload has at least doubled in the last ten years," Forsythe says, "while the staff has dwindled due to hiring freezes and budget cuts."

Forsythe says that he is hopeful that the budget increase will help the backlog of disability cases a little.  "But I don't expect a miracle," he says, noting that it will take a long time for Social Security to dig out of the severe backlog.

"It's incredible to me that Huntsville, Alabama--with a metro-area population of over 400,000 only has one hearing room," Forsythe observed.  "And they're now talking about closing that one."  That would force Madison County residents to travel just to have a hearing.

"I don't know if the budget increase will save Social Security in Huntsville or not," he says.